Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 11(1), January 2012, pp 185-189

Kaipad rice farming in North -An indigenous saline resistant organic farming system

KT Chandramohanan & KV Mohanan* Genetics & Plant Breeding Division Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala- 673635, E-mail: [email protected] Received 09.05.11; revised 16.06.11

Rice, the most important cereal and staple carbohydrate source of Asia is cultivated in diverse ecological conditions and many such agro-ecosystems are fragile and critically endangered. Some such systems are very special in terms of their ecological singularity and subsistence value and their conservation would invariably add to availability of food and protection of genetic diversity. The present study is an investigation in to a very unique rice farming system in Kerala state of India in which rice is cultivated in the first crop season in saline wetlands that are subjected to regular tidal action, taking advantage of the heavy South west monsoon which results in flushing out the salt content from the farmland. In Central Kerala the system is known as pokkali and in North Kerala as kaipad. Kaipad system of rice farming has been studied presently, based on specialities of the area, soil and water conditions and the varieties used. The study showed that soil salinity of the area in summer varied from 10.9 mmhos/cm to 19.9 mmhos/cm and water salinity in summer varied from 35.9 mmhos/cm to 49.9 mmhos/cm and in the month of July in the middle of the South west monsoon it varied from 1.6 mmhos/cm to 4.7 mmhos/cm. Soil pH during April ranged from 4.9 to 6.6. Water pH ranged between 6.71 and 7.45 in April and in July it ranged from 6.15 to 6.71. Availability of NPK in the soil ranged as follows in April: N: 1.12% to 2.0%; P: 7.2 kg/ha to 34.2 kg/ha; K: 480 kg/ha. The major rice varieties cultivated in the area are the native cultivars Kuthiru, Orkazhama, Kuttusan, Orthadiyan and Chovverian among which Kuthiru is the most popular and the best performing.

Keywords: Kaipad, Traditional and released saline tolerant rice cultivars IPC Int.Cl.8: A01G 16/00, H01L 35/00, H01L 37/00, A23L 3/00, A23L 4/00, A47G

Rice is one of the major cereals of the world and is requirement. The deficit in rice production is the staple food of the people of Asia. India stands first increasing year after year due to reduction in rice area in rice area (44. 6 million hectares) and second in arising out of large scale conversion of paddy lands production which almost tripled from 30.4 million for raising other crops or for residential purposes2. It tones in 1966 to a record production of 93. 3 million is estimated that half of the world’s farms have been tones in 2001-02. Though there was steady increase in damaged by salt. About one billion hectares of production of rice in India, reverse was the trend in the world’s land are affected by salt and 60% of it the state of Kerala. Since mid seventies, area under is cultivated. This is not a static situation and paddy cultivation is declining at the rate of 4.3% per approximately 1.5 million hectares of irrigated land annum in the state1. The net area of rice, the single are salinized each year3. most food crop of the state has been reported as 2.25 To address these problems, the ability of crops to lakh hectares in 2004 which is a meagre 5.8 % of the tolerate such conditions has become a key research total geographic area, 10 % of the net area sown and issue in the world. At this context, salinity tolerant 2 16 % of the area under food crops . The prosperity of genetic resources and varieties of rice can play a the people of Kerala and in turn the economy of the major role to attain the goal of food security. Further, state largely depends on the performance of rice. some degree of cultivar tolerance for salinity stress Kerala is a deficient state in rice production. While available with certain traditional land races, not the estimated requirement of rice for the state is 30 exploited so far has great relevance in crop lakh tonnes/yr, it produces only one third of its improvement. A complex and ecologically responsive ——————— rice-fish farming system has evolved in the coastal *Corresponding author wetland regions of India over centuries. No accurate 186 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 11, NO 1, JANUARY 2012

estimate of the area under this cultivation exists. also is subjected to tidal action and hence the soil is According to one estimate4, it is about 0.7 million saline and out skirted by mangrove plants which hectares. Rice culture in these lands takes place either provide a special habitat for rice cultivation. under deep water or floating conditions. The rice The study area is located at Ezhome region of varieties cultivated are traditional types with an Ezhome village panchayat and Keezhara region of average yield of about 1.5 to 2 tonnes per hectare4. An village panchayat of district of important characteristic of this farming system is that Kerala. Fifty farming units in the Ezhome and to facilitate the cultivation of rice during the wet Keezhara regions, each with an area of about 0.1 ha to season of the year, the land has to be dewatered for 0.3 ha were used for the study (Table 1). The units sowing and subsequently protected from saline water were frequently visited and the observations recorded intrusion to ensure crop growth; rest of the year it and analysed in the first cropping season of 2009-10. remains under fresh or saline water depending on the Details of the commonly used cultivars and varieties ecological setting. For the organisation of this were collected and the frequency of their cultivation farming, different types of water control, both for the observed. Water and soil samples were collected from cultivation of rice and for the culture of fish are 10 representative units during April and July and required. There exist variations in these farming analysed for parameters like pH, salinity, Nitrogen systems across regions depending on the ecological, content in terms of organic C and available P and K technological, institutional, and organisational content. The farming units were observed from land arrangements and systems of exploitation of the preparation to harvest and observations were made on wetland resources base4. Forty years ago, about the agronomic characters of the crop cultivars used 2500 ha of kaipad rice fields existed in Kannur based on systematic sampling selecting 30 plants per district of Kerala, but now it has been restricted to farming unit. about 600 ha. Most of the kaipad fields either lie Results and discussion barren or produce low yields. At present, traditional Kaipad wetland ecosystems consist of marshes, cultivars namely Kuthiru, Orkayama, Mundon, swamps, ponds and paddy fields. These swampy and Kandorkutty, Orpandy, Odiyan and Orissa tolerant water logged areas experience flood during monsoon to low and medium salinity are cultivated in various 3 and salinity during summer owing to their proximity kaipad fields of Kerala . to estuaries. Tidal currents enter the fields during high The present effort is significant since in recent tide and flow out during low tide. Saline water from decades, the wetlands under rice-fish farming have the sea enters the estuaries during summer when the been facing severe threats due to a variety of factors flow is low and it spreads in the low lying kaipad including shift from the ecologically fragile rice-fish wetlands and this water keeps the area moist even in farming to the semi-intensive fish farming. The study summer months. Kaipad farms are made by making has been carried out at a time when the world fritters bunds around the wetlands and these are protected by time and money on researching new varieties of the mangrove plants growing along their outer paddy that are flood and saline tolerant while the boundaries. The kaipad system of agricultural practice indigenous varieties adaptive to organic farming in is traditionally empowered with local knowledge and coastal Northern Kerala that thrive on salinity and it is interwoven with traditional lifestyle. water are finding survival a tough proposition. Kaipad system of rice farming in the Ezhome and Keezhara The farming system Agricultural operations are started with the drying regions of of Kerala state of India has of the low lying kaipad fields in the month of April. been studied presently, based on agro-ecology, farming practices and the varieties used. Table 1—The rice cultivars used and the frequency of their cultivation by the farmers Materials and methods Cultivar Number of farming units Percentage Hydromorphic saline soils are common in Kerala out of the 50 units visited and are found near the coastal tracts of the state in the 1.Kuthiru 28 56 districts of Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Thrissur and 2.Orkazhama 10 20 Kannur. The network of backwaters and estuaries 3.Kuttusan 10 20 4.Chovverian 1 2 serve as inlets for tidal waters to flow inland in to 5.Orthadian 1 2 5 these areas causing salinity . The area of present study Total 50 100 CHANDRAMOHANAN & MOHANAN: KAIPAD RICE FARMING IN NORTH KERALA 187

The tidal flows are controlled by constructing bunds sluices are kept open to allow tidal water and prawns with about 2-3 m breadth and 2.5-3 m height at the and fish to enter the farm. Fish is caught during low outer boundaries adjacent to estuaries using sticky tide when water is released through the sluices. A net mud and wild grasses which are available in the river is fixed to the sluices to catch fish. Neither chemical banks. Locally the bunds are known as chira or fertilizers nor plant protection chemicals are used in kandy. The flow of water is regulated by sluice rice, fish or shrimp farming. The daily tidal inflows wooden gates, locally known as mancha. and outflows, besides the tremendous microbial Normally only one crop of rice is raised in the area. activity owing to the presence of large quantities of Cultivation starts in April and ends by October. organic matter (decomposed aquatic weed mass and Before the starting of agricultural operations, the paddy stubbles) make the kaipad fields fertile. saline water is drained out completely and the fields The fish, shrimp, prawn, etc. which swim in from are left to dry for about one month. Germinated rice the sea and the backwaters after the rice harvest, feed seeds are sown on mounds known as potta in the low on the leftovers of the harvested crop. The rice crop to medium saline phase of the ecosystem. The soil draws nutrients from the excrement and other mounds with a spacing of about 50 cm are prepared remnants of these sea creatures. Further, diversity of by the end of April. Two kinds of mounds are flora and fauna in this area is rich when compared to common: hemispherical mounds with 30-45cm height modern rice-farming system. In addition, fertility of and 50-60cm diameter and long strips with 30cm the field is increased due to left-over rice stubbles and width. The mounds help to leach away the high post harvest vegetation. This ecofriendly farming salinity by the heavy rains during early June. The method has been practiced for many years with no bunds are opened as soon as the river is filled change even to this day. with fresh water. The fresh river water tides wash away the salinity. Soil and water parameters The seeds are soaked in fresh water in jute sacks An analysis of the soil parameters of the study area for one day and the wet seeds are kept for 3 days for in the month of April showed that soil organic C germination by the beginning of June. Local salinity content varied from 0.7% to 2% (available). Available tolerant rice varieties are used for the purpose. After Phosphorus varied from 7.2kg/ha to 34.2kg/ha and the onset of southwest monsoon, 4 day old germinated available Potassium content was of the order seedlings are sown on the flattened tops of the 480kg/ha. Observation on soil analyses shows that K mounds. After 45 days of vegetative growth, the is high in all cases, N is varying from medium to high mounds are dismantled and the seedlings in clefts are and in general P is medium. This shows that the major dispersed around the flattened mounds using spades. nutrient requirements of the crop are well supplied by There are no other cultural operations till the harvest the system even without the application of any except removal of weeds. No fertilizer is also added. fertilizer. Soil pH of the study area during April Harvesting is done by the end of October. While showed a range of 4.9- 6.6 which is acidic (Table 2). harvesting, only the panicles are cut and the rest of the The pH of water during the month of April ranged stalks are left to decay in the water, which in time from 6.7 to 7.5 and it was in between 6.2 to 6.7 in become feed for the prawns that are grown July. It shows that the pH of water of this area subsequently. changed from alkaline of pre-monsoon stage to slightly acidic due to dilution by heavy rain in the The strengthening of the bunds needs about 20 man monsoon. Salinity also got decreased due to this power days, preparation of the soil mounds needs dilution effect of heavy rainfall. The minimum salinity 40 man power days, dismantling of mounds needs of water during April was found to be 40.6 mmhos/cm 20 man power days, weed removal requires 10 man and maximum 49.9 mmhos/cm and it got reduced in power days and harvesting needs 20 man power days, the monsoon to 1.6-6.2 mmhos/cm (Table 3). totally coming to a cost of about Rs. 22000/- per ha. Traditional fish rearing is carried out in kaipad Crop cultivars/varieties used farms during the high saline phase from November to The kaipad system of rice cultivation is an April. Mud-bunds and sluices are made around the integrated organic farming system in which rice fields to regulate the entry of tidal water. Prawn cultivation and aquaculture go together in coastal filtration in the fields begins after the monsoon. The brackish water marshes which is rich in organic 188 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 11, NO 1, JANUARY 2012

Table 2—Data on the analysis of soil samples collected from the fields before the crop season in April Sample No. Place of collection Organic carbon % Available P (kg/ha) Available K (kg/ha) pH ECe (mmhos/cm) 1 Keezhara (1) 1.40 10.8 480 6.6 15.7 2 Keezhara (2) 1.72 23.4 480 5.2 15.3 3 Keezhara (3) 1.88 7.2 480 6.2 19.9 4 Ezhome (1) 1.40 21.6 480 5.3 14.8 5 Ezhome (2) 1.24 14.4 480 5.8 12.2 6 Ezhome (3) 1.12 27.0 480 6.1 12.4 7 Ezhome (4) 0.72 34.2 480 5.6 12.2 8 Ezhome (5) 2.00 27.0 480 5.6 10.9 9 Ezhome (6) 1.80 18.0 480 5.0 17.2 10 Ezhome (7) 1.48 14.4 480 4.9 13.7 Table 3—Analysis of water samples collected from the tolerant traditional land races are low yielders and are fields in April and July susceptible to lodging, because of the poor culm Salinity pH strength and excessive culm length, with poor grain Sample Place of No. collection April July April July qualities like awn on grains and heavy shattering of (mmhos/cm) (mmhos/cm) grains. However, these cultivars are resistant to pests 1 Keezhara (1) 46.8 4.7 7.35 6.33 and diseases in natural field conditions of kaipad and 2 Keezhara (2) 37.4 1.6 6.83 6.15 the cooked rice is delicious. 3 Keezhara (3) 35.9 1.6 6.71 6.17 Two new rice varieties, Ezhome-1 and Ezhome-2 4 Ezhome (1) 46.8 6.2 7.2 6.46 5 Ezhome (2) 40.6 1.6 7.3 6.29 have been developed recently by Kerala Agricultural 6 Ezhome (3) 46.8 1.6 7.4 6.42 University with the participation of farmers of 7 Ezhome (4) 48.4 1.6 7.05 6.71 Ezhome panchayat. These varieties are high yielding 8 Ezhome (5) 49.9 3.1 7.42 6.19 and non-lodging red rice varieties with awn less, non- 9 Ezhome (6) 43.7 3.1 7.41 6.22 shattering grains and favourable cooking qualities 10 Ezhome (7) 39.0 1.6 7.45 6.51 better than local cultivars. The average yield of matter. (Figs. 1-4) Five local salinity tolerant rice Ezhome -1 and Ezhome–2 is 3.5 tones/ ha and 3.2 cultivers, namely Chovverian (Fig.5), Kuthiru (Fig.6), tones/ha, respectively under close planting and zero Kuttusan (Fig.7), Orkazhama (Fig.8), and Orthadian management conditions of kaipad. This yield is 70 % (Fig.9) are cultivated in this area (Table 1). However, and 60% more than that of local cultivars. These the cultivar Kuthiru is used more commonly, followed varieties differ in duration, and are having distinct by Orkazhama and Kuttusan. The remaining two morphological qualitative traits and different mode of cultivars are only very rarely cultivated. salinity tolerance mechanism imparting varietal Observations on the yield attributing traits of these diversity to the unique ecosystem of kaipad6. land races are presented in Table 4. All the five rice This system exists as a world acclaimed farming varieties are tall and plant height is relatively higher model complementing the natural system, utilising in Chovverian with an average of 150.4cm. The indigenous knowledge and ensuring efficient highest number of tillers at harvest among the utilisation of local resources. The proximity to sea varieties was 9.8 shown by Kuthiru and the lowest and subsequent periodical seawater inundation was 6.93 shown by Orthadian. Ear bearing tillers are ensure the uniqueness of the rice varieties relatively more in Kuthiru rice cultivar with an cultivated and contribute to the high degree of average of 8.4. Panicles of these cultivars are long but specialisation in the cultural practices followed in less in number of grains, and grains are bold type with the region. The less remunerative rice cultivation red kernel. Hundred grain weight is higher in compliments a highly profitable prawn culture, Orthadian and lesser in Kuttusan. Yield per plant is making it a unique agro-ecological continuum. The higher in Kuthiru and lower in Orthadian. The farming system is traditionally organic, as farmers varieties differ in their morphological and desist from use of agrochemicals in rice farming physicochemical characteristics and cooking qualities. which hampers the productivity of the succeeding Duration of Kuthiru and Orthadian is 110-120 days, crop, i.e. the prawn culture. But lately, monoculture that of Orkazhama and Kuttusan is 135 -140 days and of prawn has caught up, which though provides that of Chovverian is 125-130 days. These saline higher net return over rice-prawn culture in short CHANDRAMOHANAN & MOHANAN: KAIPAD RICE FARMING IN NORTH KERALA 189

Figs. (1-4), Kaipad habitat, (5-9), Kaipad varieties; 5-Chovverian, 6-Kuthiru, 7-Kuttusan, 8-Orkazhama, 9-Orthadian

Table 4—Yield attributing characters of five local rice cultivars Plant height No. of EBT Panicle length Spikelet Seed number Hundred grain Yield per Rice cultivar at harvest tillers/plant % (cm) number per per panicle weight (g) plant (g) (cm) at harvest panicle Kuthiru 143.00 9.80 95.19 26.45 129.35 97.60 3.32 26.22 Orkazhama 142.15 9.14 94.75 25.82 124.67 89.69 2.91 22.72 Kuttusan 140.09 8.19 94.87 24.08 142.65 110.07 2.34 20.04 Chovverian 150.40 7.73 87.58 24.60 99.73 88.40 3.41 20.38 Orthadian 140.57 6.93 92.78 22.73 80.23 65.67 3.53 14.90 run, is found to be unsustainable both from 3 Vanaja T, Neema VP, Mammootty KP, Rajeshkumar R, ecological and social contexts. Kaipad rice is Balakrishnan PC, Jayaprakashnaik & Raji P, Development of first non-lodging and high-yielding rice cultures for saline distinguishable in taste, quality and utility from the kaipad paddy tracts of Kerala, India, Curr Sci, 96 (8) (2009) conventional rices. 1024-1028. 4 Nair KN, Vineetha M & Mahesh R, The lure of prawn culture and the waning culture of rice-fish farming: A case References study from north Kerala wetlands, Discussion Paper 43,

1 Gayatri RN & Raveendran K, Exploration of untapped Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development, potentiality of coastal paddy fields of Kerala (India)-A Case Centre for Development Studies, , 2002. Study, Middle-East J Sci Res, 4(1) (2009) 4-47. 5 Swarajyalakshmi G, Gurumurthy P & Subbaiah, Soil salinity 2 Leenakumary S, Genetic improvement of rice varieties in in south India: problems and solutions, J Crop Prod, 7 Kerala, In: Genetic Improvement of Rice Varieties in India (2003) 247-275. Part-II, edited by Sharma SD and Prasad Rao U, (Today and 6 Anonymous, Ezhome-1, Ezhome-2- First saline resistant, Tomorrow’s Printers and Publishers, 4435-36/7, Ansari high yielding, non-lodging rice varieties of kaipatu, Kerala Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi), 2004, 689-741. Agricultural University, Thrissur, 2010, 1-2.